Conroe FFA works toward $5K goal for state convention

By Meagan Ellsworth

Published
6:55 pm CDT, Saturday, June 16, 2018

Gates Loryn laughs as she is accidently sprayed with water by Krista Dabney as Conroe FFA members host a car wash and garage sale to raise additional funds for the organization’s trip to the Texas FFA State Convention on Saturday in Conroe. In addition to the $5,000 given by Conroe ISD, the organization will use the fundraiser to help with supplemental cost to the July convention in Fort Worth and future expenses. less

Gates Loryn laughs as she is accidently sprayed with water by Krista Dabney as Conroe FFA members host a car wash and garage sale to raise additional funds for the organization’s trip to the Texas FFA State ... more

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle

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Gates Loryn laughs as she is accidently sprayed with water by Krista Dabney as Conroe FFA members host a car wash and garage sale to raise additional funds for the organization’s trip to the Texas FFA State Convention on Saturday in Conroe. In addition to the $5,000 given by Conroe ISD, the organization will use the fundraiser to help with supplemental cost to the July convention in Fort Worth and future expenses. less

Gates Loryn laughs as she is accidently sprayed with water by Krista Dabney as Conroe FFA members host a car wash and garage sale to raise additional funds for the organization’s trip to the Texas FFA State ... more

Photo: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer / Houston Chronicle

Conroe FFA works toward $5K goal for state convention

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The Conroe FFA students believe they have made a good jump start toward their goal to raise $5,000 by July 6 to help the officer team go to the state convention.

The team hosted a garage sale with a few hundred items and car wash fundraiser at Conroe High School Saturday morning to pay for the travel and lodging of the convention that is set for July 9-13 in Fort Worth. The funds raised will help cover the cost for seven students and three teachers.

“It’s been going really well,” Booster Club advisor Sherri Jepsen said, confident that the students will be able to raise the funds in time and mentioning Conroe ISD has also contributed to the trip. “We had a really a big turn-out in the beginning and things have just been flying off the shelf.”

Conroe residents Sheryl Chambers and her daughter Lauren Chambers, who graduated in 2012 and participated in band, shared they enjoyed the brownies from the bake sale at the event. They commended the team.

“It is really good to see the kids doing something to get themselves in a better place in state,” Sheryl Chambers said. “The school has so many organizations. Fundraisers are a lot of work. It’s good to see the school supporting them. We saw the signs and said we need to try to support if we can. We’ve been there before.”

Ashlyn Real, 16, will be a junior this year and participating for a third time. She shared the convention provides an opportunity for the students to have fun while also participating in business meetings and developing leadership skills, including with national officers. With a belief in the future of agriculture, she shared one of the main focuses is advocacy for agriculture and informing the community to prevent misinformation by entities who may have an agenda.

Real expressed gratitude for the support and hopes the fundraiser will raise at least $3,000. Next, she said the team plans to go out and talk to sponsors, including potentially new ones, and offer to sweep porches in River Plantation to help meet the goal.

“It’s been an awesome feeling to see that everyone does support Conroe,” Real said. “We may not be the most known organization in Conroe, everyone still comes and supports because they know that we are the backbone of American agriculture.”

For more information, call 832-797-2846 or email conroeffaboosterclub@gmail.com.